Lighter



Feb. 8, 1955 Y E. T. WILLIAMS 2,701,459

LIGHTER Filed Aug. 8, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l f? T; w a 133 g4 Feb. 8,1955 E. T. WILLIAMS LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1949INVENTOR.

UIIIH II II!!! Jill diaazz e ATTOF/Vf) III 1.

LIGHTER Edward Thompson Williams, New Rochelle, N. Y.

Application August 8, 1949, Serial No. 109,119

10 Claims. (Cl. 677.1)

My invention relates to a lighter, particularly for cigarettes, cigars,and pipes, and it is the object to light equally well all three underany and all conditions.

The objective is attained by presenting a mixture of air with alcohol orthe like to a suitable catalyst such as platinum, and applying theresulting heat to create a jet of vapor and ignite it.

The invention is described in greater particularity with reference tothe accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. l is a center section of a lighter embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan of a filler piece in the lighter of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a center section of another form of lighter embodying theinvention;

Fig. 5 is a plan of the lighter in Fig. 4, broken away in part;

Fig. 6 is a partial view like Fig. 4 with parts in operated positions;

Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are detail sections on the correspondingly numberedlines in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 11 is a detail section on line 1111 in Fig. 6.

Referring first to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thelighter casing is formed by a shallow round cup 10 provided with acircular cover plate 11. In the center of the cup 10 there is a tube 12which projects through a hole in the center of the bottom of the cup.The projecting end of the tube 12 is flared outward to receive the endof a cigarette or cigar having a tapered end. A small metal tube 13 hasone end projecting into the tube 12. This end of the tube 13 is closedand provided with a minute orifice 14. A wick 15 is located in the smalltube 13 and one end of the wick projects from the other end of the tube,as best seen in Fig. 2. The tube 13 is looped in the interior of thelighter casing. Two screens 16 and 17 hold a quantity of sponge platinumpieces in the center tube 12 around the end of the small jet tube 13.The screen 17 is held by a spring ring 18 and is cone shaped with acentral opening in line with the jet orifice 14.

Surrounding the center tube 12 there is a housing 19 which, with theexterior casing, segregates the center tube 12 from the remaininginterior parts of the lighter casing. The center housing 19 is providedwith a normally closed check valve 20 which is seated on a suitablevalve plate 21.

The exterior casing is provided with a normally closed valve 22 whichseats on a valve plate 23. The valve 22 can be opened at will bypressing on a push button 24 under which is located a spring 25 whichholds the valve in its normal closed position. A short stem 26 carriedby the valve 22 projects toward the check valve 20 so that when thevalve 22 is opened by pressing on the button 24 the stem 26 contacts andopens the valve 20.

Inside the lighter casing are a number of felt pads. Between two ofthese pads 27 and 28 there is located a third pad 29. Above the pad 28there is located a fourth pad 30. These pads occupy the interior of thelighter casing outside the housing 19, but are formed to leave an openspace 31 around the valve 22 and another open space 32 around the valve20. The valve operating stem 26 projects through a hole in the pad 29.This pad is formed to provide a peripheral passage 33 that connects thetwo valve spaces 31 and 32. The outline of pad 29, shown in Fig. 3, isdotted in Fig. 2. The top pad is formed to provide a recess 34 for thejet tube 18. This recess may be filled with loose absorbent material.The pads and any loose absorbent in the lighter casing are to be keptimpregnated with alcohol. A small filling plug, not shown, is providedin the cover plate 11.

In Fig. 1 the lighter is shown resting on the top edge United StatesPatent 0 "ice of a smoking pipe 35. The user depresses the button 24 anddraws on the pipe that is to be lighted. The valves 20 and 22 beingopen, air flows past valve 22 and thence through the peripheral passage33 around the outside of the pad 29 and into the center housing 19 pastthe valve 20. Alcohol evaporates and diffuses into the air stream andthe resulting mixture continues from the interior of the housing 19through the center tube 12. When the gaseous mixture contacts thecatalyst 16 the latter incandesces and heats the jet tube 13. The wick15 has transported alcohol by capillarity into this end of the jet tubeand the alcohol is vaporized by the the heat of the catalyst 16. Thevapor has trouble getting out past the wetted wick 15, so its pressurerises and it issues through the orifice 14 in the form of a fine jet.This vapor jet is ignited by the incandescent catalyst 16 and thelighted jet projects downward into the pipe for igniting the tobaccotherein. The end of a cigarette or the tapered end of a cigar to belighted can be inserted into the flared end of the center tube 12. Aflat end cigar can be placed against the flared end of the center tube.

Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4 to 11 inclusive,the lighter casing is formed by a shell 36 closed at one end by a topplate 37, and closed at the other end by a bottom plate 38. A screw plug39 for filling is provided in the bottom plate 38.

A well is formed in the top plate 37 by a cylinder 40 having its upperend secured around an opening in the top plate, and its lower end closedby a cap 41. A small tube 42, like the jet tube 13 in Fig. 1, has itsorifice end projecting through the cap 41 into the well formed by thecylinder 40. The other end of the jet tube 42 is curled upward withinthe casing, and the wick 43 continues under a clip 44 on the under sideof the plate 37, and thence downward, its end being suitably secured asby tying to the lowermost part of the jet tube 42.

The orifice end of the jet tube 42 is fitted with two small flanges 45and 46 slotted inward radially. A platinum filament 47 is strung betweenthe flanges 45 and 46. A button 48 of platinum black or sponge platinumis formed on each length of the filament 41 in known manner.

The top of the lighter well is fitted with an annular ledge of generallycircular inner surface to provide a seat 49 for a closure member orstopper 50. The bottom of the stopper 50 is a hemisphere traversed by agroove 51. ln Fig. 4 the stopper 50 is seated in the ring 49 to seal thetop of the well. A sleeve 52 is journalled within the well cylinder 40and has two prongs 53 and 54, see Figs. 6 and 9, which project upwardand inward so that the upper ends of the prongs lie within the slot 51in the stopper 50. Turning the stopper 50 thus causes the sleeve 52 toturn. The well cylinder 40 and the sleeve 52 have a number of openingswhich register when the stopper 50 is in its normal position as shown inFig. 4. When the stopper and sleeve are turned, the holes 55 in the wellcylinder 40 are closed, as seen in Fig. 10, the holes 56 in the sleeve52 having been revolved out of register. The stopper 50 is turned bymeans of a combination pointer and lever 57.

The stopper 50 is mounted by a short bolt 58 in a bushing 59 which issecured in a lever 60. The head of the bolt 58 is recessed in a slot 60which limits turning movement of the bolt and stopper. The bolt 58 has aloose fit in the bushing 59, and a short spring 61 tensions the stopperwith respect to the bushing.

The lever 60 is pivoted on a pin 62 in a pair of brackets 63 and 64 onthe top plane 37. A second pin 65 in the lever 60 engages in slots 66 inthe end of a press bar 67. The latter is mounted on the upper end of arod or plunger 68 which projects downward into a spring well in the topplate 37. The spring well is formed by a tube 69, a reducing fitting 70,and a smaller tube 71 closed at its lower end. A sleeve 72 is journalledon the upper end of the rod 68 and fits slidably in the tube 69. A coilspring 73 is located in the tube 69. The upper end of the spring engagesin a notch in the bottom edge of the sleeve 72. The lower end of thespring engages in a notch in the fitting 70.

The sleeve 72 is provided with a short pin 74 projecting above the topedge of the plunger well tube 69. The

sleeve 72 also has a longer pin 75 directly above the pin 74 andprojecting upward through a short slot in the top of the press bar 67.The projecting end of the pin 75 is fitted with a button 76. A straightslot 77 running downward from the upper edge of the tube 69 (Figs. 7, 8and 11) is just wide enough to admit the pins 74 and 75 when they arerotated by means of the button 76 to a position in which thev registerwith the slot, as indicated in dotted outline in Figs. 7 and 8.

The lighter casing is packed with a suitable absorbent material, such asfiber glass or rock wool, by way of the filling plug 39. This packing iskept impregnated with a suitable liquid fuel, such as methyl alcohol.The wick 43 in the jet tube may be of fiber glass or fine metallic wiremesh. The wick 43 is kept wet with liquid from the packing.

The well formed in the top plate 37 by the cylinder 40 is normallyclosed by the stopper 50 seated in the ring 49, and the well has an alchol vapor atmosphere when the holes 55 are open. n Fig. 10 the ho es 55are shown closed by the sleeve 52. but normally the sleeve 52, oneratedby the ointer 57. is turned so that the holes 56 re ister with the ho es55 as shown in Fig. 4 where the ho es are seen but not indicated byreference characters.

The lighter is operated by raising the stopper 50. This is done bvpressing the bar 67. The l tter is prevented from moving acci entallv hvthe pin 74 pro ecting over the top ed e of the tube 69. By moving thebutton 76 in the direction indicated bv the arrow on this button in Fig.5, the sleeve 72 a d the pin 74 are turned agai st the acti n of thespring 73 so that the pin registers with the slot 77 permitting the bar67 to be d pressed. als against the action f the s ring 73. De ressinthe bar 67 causes the lever 60 to be rotated becau e of the pin 65 ndslot 66 association of the lever 60 with the press bar 67. R- tation fthe lever 60 carries the stopper 50 upward and out of the wav f the topo he l h ter ell. Air enters the well when the stopper 50 is lifted andpermits catalytic combustion of the vapor in known manner around the endof the iet tube 42. The resulting heat vaporizes liquid in he wick 43.This va r is co fined s h t its pressure increases and it issues throughthe small hole in the end of the iet tube in the form of a fine jet. Thevapor iet ignites fr m the heat of the catalytic c mbustion and isavailab e for lighting a cig rette or cigar or pipe. or anvthin else forth t matter. The li hter can he turned in anv direction and the iet. dueto its velocitv, extends in the direction the li hter is turned. Thus itis that this lighter can be turned upside down f r lighting. bv wav ofexamp e. a pipe. When the li hter is turned upside down. the iet proects downward. Because of the f rce of the iet. wind h s little effecton it. Wind ahets rather than interferes with the ope ati n of thislighter. because when the stopper 50 is lifted the sup ly of air intothe well is more rapid if the air is in motion.

When the ress bar 67 is released. the sprin 73 forces it back in placeto clo e the stopper 50. This cuts off air to the well and suufls outthe jet flame. The stopper 50 is held ti htlv closed by the action ofthe spring 73 on the press b r 67. When the latter returns to its n rmalposition. the button 76 and the pin 74 are turned by the spring 73 b ckto the position in hich the operator cannot he accidentally operated.The stopper 50 is mounted so that it can fit nicely in the ring 49. Themountin bolt 58 has a loose fit in the bushing 59. the relationsh p beeen the stop r 50 and the bushing 59 being tensioned bv the s rin 61.

If for anv reason it is desired to open the st er 50 without operati n fthe li h er. the inter 57 is first turned to the position marked closein Fig. 5. This revolves the st pper 50 and the sleeve 52 so that the hles 56 and 55 are moved out of register as shown in Fi 10.

Various changes rnav be made within the scope of the inventi n as setforth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A li hter c mprising a va or iet device supplied with vo ati e liouidfuel. a ca a vtic hea er arranged to va rize the liouid in said ietdevice and i nite the vap r issuing from said et device. a d means exclive of said jet devi e to supplv cornbustih e vapor to said he ter.

2. A li hter c mprisin a e clos d at one end except for a smallaperture. canil arv material in said tube adapted to hold a volatileliquid fuel, catalytic material so arranged adjacent the aperture end ofsaid tube as to be in heat transfer relation therewith, and meansexclusive of said tube for applying at will to the catalyst 21 mixturecombustible in contact therewith and thereby produce heat to vaporizeliquid in said tube and ignite vapor issuing from said aperture.

3. A light comprising a device adapted to contain a volatile liquid fueland emit a jet of combustible vapor upon heating of the liquid, andmeans to heat the liquid and ignite the jet consisting of a catalyst andmeans exclusive of the jet for applying at will to the catalyst air andvapor combustible in contact with the catalyst.

4. A lighter comprising a container for volatile liquid, a deviceassociated with said container also adapted to hold volatile liquid fueland emit a jet of combustible vapor upon heating of the liquid therein,a catalyst arranged to heat liquid in said device and ignite the vaporjet emitted thereby, and means exclusive of the jet and operable at willto bring air and vapor of liquid in said container into contact withsaid catalyst, the vapor and the catalyst being such as to causecombustion on the catalyst to produce the heat for vaporizing liquid insaid device and igniting the jet.

5. A lighter comprising a device adapted to contain a volatile liquidfuel and operable to emit a jet of combustible vapor upon heating of theliquid, a casing associated with said device and also adapted to containa volatile liquid, a catalyst so arranged as to heat liquid in saiddevice and ignite the jet therefrom upon heating of the catalyst, meansexcluding the jet but forming a path of flow for air first in contactwith liquid in said container and then in contact with said catalyst,and means to open and close said path of flow, the catalyst and liquidin said container being such that vapor of the liquid burns in thepresence of air and the catalyst.

6. A lighter as set forth in claim 5 in which said vapor jet emittingdevice is a tube closed at one end except for a small aperture, saidtube containing capillary material and located in said casing with itsapertured end adjacent an opening in the casing.

7. A jet lighter comprising a casing adapted to contain a volatileliquid fuel, means forming a chamber within said casing communicatingboth with the exterior and interior thereof independently of the jetdevice infra, means for opening and closing communication of saidchamber with the exterior and/ or interior, a device adapted to containa volatile liquid and operable to emit a jet of combustible vapor uponheating of this liquid, said device being located in said chamber, and acatalyst within said member so arranged as to heat liquid in said deviceand ignite the jet therefrom, the catalyst and the liquid in saidcontainer being such that vapor of the liquid burns on the catalyst whensaid chamber is open to the exterior and interior of the container.

8. A lighter as set forth in claim 7 in which said device is a tubecontaining capillary material and closed at one end except for a smallaperture, the aperture end of the tube being located in said chamber andthe other end of the tube projecting through the chamber wall into saidcasing, With the capillary material projecting from said other end ofthe tube sufiicicntly to pick up liquid within the casing.

9. A lighter as set forth in claim 7 in which said means for opening andclosing communication of the chamber with the exterior and/or interiorof the casing is such that communication with the interior can be closedprior to opening of communication with the exterior.

10. A lighter as set forth in claim 7 in which said means for openingand closing communication of said chamber is provided with a safety sothat the means is inoperative to open communication of said chamber withthe exterior until operation of the safety.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,895,032 Fisher Jan. 24, 1933 1,995,899 Reilly Mar. 26, 1935 2,005,476Schmitt June 18, 1935 2,014,014 Berthold Sept. 10, 1935 2,276,278 AbramsMar. 17, 1942 2,318,327 Phillips May 4, 1 943 2,433,707 Phillips Dec.30, 1947 2,551,823 Buttner et a1. May 8, 1951

